In a significant development, the Central Government on Thursday approved the elevation of Justices N.V. Anjaria, Vijay Bishnoi, and Atul S. Chandurkar as judges of the Supreme Court of India. Their appointment brings the apex court to its full sanctioned strength of 34 judges.
The announcement was made by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal, who posted on X:
“In exercise of the powers conferred by the Constitution of India, the President, after consultation with Chief Justice of India, is pleased to appoint S/Shri Justices (i) N.V. Anjaria, Chief Justice, High Court of Karnataka, (ii) Vijay Bishnoi, Chief Justice, High Court of Gauhati and (iii) A.S. Chandurkar, Judge, High Court of Bombay as Judges of the Supreme Court of India.”
Collegium Recommendation and Background
The Supreme Court Collegium led by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai had recommended the elevation of the three High Court judges in its meeting held on May 26, 2025.
Justice N.V. Anjaria, whose parent High Court is Gujarat, is currently serving as the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court. Justice Vijay Bishnoi, from the Rajasthan High Court cadre, is presently the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court. Justice Atul S. Chandurkar has been serving as a judge of the Bombay High Court.
Profiles of the Newly Elevated Judges
Justice N.V. Anjaria began his legal practice at the Gujarat High Court in August 1988 under the mentorship of Senior Advocate S.N. Shelat. He specialized in constitutional, civil, labour, and service matters, and also represented various government entities as standing counsel. He was appointed as an additional judge of the Gujarat High Court on November 21, 2011, and was made a permanent judge on September 6, 2013. He assumed office as Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court on February 25, 2024.
Justice Vijay Bishnoi enrolled as an advocate on July 8, 1989, and practiced before the Rajasthan High Court and the Central Administrative Tribunal in Jodhpur. His areas of practice included civil, criminal, constitutional, service, and election law. He served as Additional Central Government Standing Counsel from 2000 to 2004 and also represented various state departments. He was elevated as an additional judge of the Rajasthan High Court on January 8, 2013, and became a permanent judge on January 7, 2015. He took oath as Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court on February 5, 2024.
Justice Atul S. Chandurkar began his legal career after enrolling on July 21, 1988. He initially worked in the chambers of Senior Advocate B.N. Naik in Mumbai before shifting his practice to Nagpur in 1992. There, he appeared before the Bombay High Court, Nagpur Bench, and other forums across diverse legal subjects. He was appointed as an additional judge of the Bombay High Court on June 21, 2013.
